NORFOLK, Va. - Savannah State's Rashad Hassan was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced on Thursday. The defending MEAC regular season champion Savannah State Tigers were also picked to win the 2012-13 MEAC regular season title. All awards are voted on by the conference's head men's basketball coaches and sports information directors.
Hassan led the Tigers in scoring with 13 points per game and started in 32 of 33 games a year ago. He ranked in the top 20 in the nation with a 57.0 field goal percentage. As a senior Hassan averaged 14.2 points and recorded a 62.3 field goal percentage. The 2011-12 season was highlighted by three double-double performances including 20 points and 14 rebounds against Tennessee.
Savannah State received 24 first place votes and totaled 616 points to take hold of the conference's top spot. The Tigers finished among the top five in the MEAC in several categories including scoring margin (2nd), scoring defense (1st), rebounding margin (1st), assists (3rd), steals (5th), and assist-to-turnover ratio (5th) a year ago. The Tigers finished the season with a 14-2 mark in MEAC play and 21-12 overall. SSU's season concluded with a 65-51 loss to Tennessee in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The team welcomes back all five starters to this year's campaign.
Delaware State was predicted to finish second with 525 total points. The Hornets finished with a 12-4 mark in the MEAC and 15-14 overall record last season. Morgan State was selected to finish in third while the defending MEAC champion Norfolk State Spartans were predicted to finish in fourth. Hampton was projected to finish fifth with Bethune-Cookman slated to follow at sixth place. North Carolina Central (7th), Howard (8th), North Carolina A&T (9th), Coppin State (10th), Florida A&M (11th), Maryland Eastern Shore (12th), and South Carolina State (13th) round out the 2012-13 preseason poll for the men's basketball season.
Accompanying Hassan on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Tahj Tate (Delaware State), Pendarvis Williams (Norfolk State), DeWayne Jackson (Morgan State), and Ray Willis (North Carolina Central).
The 2012-13 MEAC men's basketball season tips off on Friday, November 9 with ten MEAC teams in play.
The 2013 MEAC Basketball Tournament is slated for March 11-16 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
2012-13 Men's Basketball Preseason Predicted Order of Finish and All-MEAC First and Second Teams
As voted on by the Conference's Head Men's Basketball Coaches and
Sports Information Directors
(First-Place Votes in Parenthesis)
School...................................... Points1. Savannah State (24)....................... 6162. Delaware State (1).......................... 5253. Morgan State.................................. 5044. Norfolk State (1)............................ 4895. Hampton........................................ 3966. Bethune-Cookman......................... 3927. North Carolina Central.................. 3868. Howard.......................................... 2549. North Carolina A&T...................... 22810. Coppin State................................ 22011. Florida A&M............................... 18412. Maryland Eastern Shore............... 11013. South Carolina State.................... 62
Preseason Player of the Year: Rashad Hassan, Savannah State University
First Team
|
Name
|
School
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Cl.
|
Hometown
|
|
Tahj Tate
|
Delaware State
|
G
|
6-4
|
190
|
So.
|
Easley, S.C
|
|
Dewayne Jackson
|
Morgan State
|
F
|
6-8
|
210
|
Sr.
|
Bowie, Md.
|
|
Pendarvis Williams
|
Norfolk State
|
G
|
6-6
|
195
|
Jr.
|
Philadelphia, Pa.
|
|
Ray Willis
|
N. C. Central
|
G
|
6-6
|
164
|
Sr.
|
Atlanta, Ga.
|
|
Rashad Hassan
|
Savannah State
|
F
|
6-7
|
215
|
Sr.
|
Riverdale, Ga.
|
Second Team
|
Name
|
School
|
Pos.
|
Ht.
|
Wt.
|
Cl.
|
Hometown
|
|
Kevin Dukes
|
Bethune-Cookman
|
G
|
5-9
|
155
|
Sr.
|
Lithonia, Ga.
|
|
Marques Oliver
|
Delaware State
|
F
|
6-7
|
220
|
Sr.
|
Durham, N.C.
|
|
Casey Walker
|
Delaware State
|
G
|
6-5
|
175
|
Jr.
|
Brodnax, Va.
|
|
Ian Chiles
|
Morgan State
|
C
|
7-2
|
270
|
r-Jr.
|
Cliffside Park, N.J.
|
|
Deric Rudolph
|
Savannah State
|
G
|
5-11
|
175
|
Sr.
|
Gadsen, Ala.
|